Copyright Malcolm Faed.
Images and text may only be copied with the permission of the author.
This blog includes personal things of interest including electric vehicle conversion. I have documented the conversion of a petrol (gas) powered vehicle to Electric. http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/1149.
The blog now documents the conversion of a BMW E30 to electric.

Thursday, 14 October 2010

i-MiEV Mitsubishi electric vehicle Frequently Asked Questions

We had a show-and-tell of the i-MiEV this morning to the staff. These are the most frequently asked questions.

Q: How far can it go.A: About 100 km

Q: How fast can it goA: 130km/hr

Q: How long does it take to charge?A: About 1 hour per 15km driven. 8 hours from flat.

Q: Where can I charge it?A: from a 15A power point. These can be identified as they have a larger earth pin than the other 2 pins (normal household power points are 10A)Q: Where are the batteries?A: Under the floor.

Q: Where is the motor?A: In the back under the luggage compartment.

Q: How do I know how far I can drive?A: The is a 16 pint ‘fuel’ gauge and a trip computer that estimates range left in km.

Q: How much does it weigh?A: 1080kg

Q: How is B different to D?A: B provides more aggressive regenerative braking when you lift you foot of the accelerator?

Q: Does it put power back in the batteries when you let your foot of the accelerator or you press the brake?A: Yes. AC motors in electric vehicles provide regenerative braking.

Q: What if the battery goes flat?A: Call a tow truck or plug it in.

Q: How much does it cost?A: We don’t know, they are not for sale yet in Australia. Roche is privileged to be on a special lease program from Mitsubishi for 3 years. As an indication they should be less than USD 30,000 before rebates in the USA.

Q: How much pollution does it cause charging?A: 1/4 of CO2 compared to ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) equivalent

Q: how much does it cost to run?A: 1/3 of the cost of an equivalent ICE. 1/9th if charged off peak.

Q: Is it quite?A: Yes, 5dB lower than ICE. About 1/3.

Q: Is it safe?A: Yes, it has a 4 star NCAP rating with dual airbags. If fitted with Side and curtain bags, will be 5 star.

Q: Where can I find more information?A: From Mitsubishi. http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/microsites/i-miev and for more technical details from this presentation http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/microsites/i-miev